Affiliate organiser and invited speaker
Details: Our ‘In Conversation with Generation COVID’ platform enables a cathartic dialogue between new/expectant parents, clinicians and researchers to shine a light on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on family wellbeing and health.
Together, the COVID-19 in the Context of Pregnancy, Infancy and Parenting (CoCoPIP) study of 2,000 families from diverse backgrounds across the UK and the Pregnant in the Pandemic project interviewing and photographing the experiences of a range of parents-to-be document the resilience that families have shown in the face of uncertainty. Our conversation between new parents impacted by the pandemic and child development researchers intends to give “Generation COVID” families a voice for their stories.
The introductory 30 minutes by James Clifford Kent (Pregnant in the Pandemic lead), photographer and new parent, who will discuss their mission to document the diverse experiences of expectant parents who raised their babies or gave birth in the pandemic. Following this, there will be three 10-min publicly-accessible talks on the CoCoPIP study’s research findings - regarding prenatal healthcare access, maternal well-being and infant development - chaired by Sarah Lloyd-Fox (CoCoPIP lead researcher). Finally, there will be an open discussion with attendees and parents, facilitated by Sarah and James, and including spokespeople from policy making, charitable and clinical work in pregnancy, birth and early childhood. We hope our conversations will be a force for insight into the vital questions around the impact of the pandemic on perinatal mental health, infant development and healthcare policies which support family well-being. This event has been organised jointly by Cambridge Reproduction and the PIPKIN (Perinatal Imaging Partnership with Families) project within the Department of Psychology.